The present invention relates to an apparatus for selectively driving tapes to select a desired tape among a plurality of tapes on which a plurality of items, information and the like (generically, referred to as "item" or "items" in the specification and claims) are recorded or stored and to position one or more items recorded on the selected tape in a predetermined station.
Since the tape driving apparatus according to the present invention can drive or move any kind of tapes, the present invention is applicable to tape driving apparatus for multi-purpose codeless input equipment used in office computers, personal computers, word-processors, Japanese language typewriters, multi-item switches, handy input machines and the like, or magnetic recording systems used in computer files, video files and the like, or microfilm readers or the like. Accordingly, the present invention will be explained by way of an example of the multi-purpose codeless input machine.
A conventional codeless input machine 4 (FIG. 1) comprises an input unit 1 and a film 2 on which a number of items 3 are recorded in matrix pattern. Each item recorded on the film corresponds to a respective information to be inputted. All of the items recorded on the film are grouped into a plurality of pages 5 having a lengthwise dimension L equal to that of the input unit, the transverse dimension of each page corresponding to the width of the film. In order to position a desired item 3 on the input unit 1 for inputting the information corresponding to the desired item, the film 2 can be moved by means of an appropriate film feeding device (not shown) incorporated into the input machine in both directions indicated by an arrow F such that the page 5 including the desired item 3 is aligned with the input unit 1. When the desired item 3 is energized by a pen-touch or key-push operation, a corresponding input signal is generated; said input signal selecting or designating a corresponding address among a plurality of addresses stored in a memory (not shown) through the medium of a control portion (not shown) in the input unit 1, thereby generating an output signal regarding the information corresponding to the desired item. When a new item to be inputted next is not included in the present page, the film must be moved to position a new page including said new item on the input unit 1.
In this conventional input machine, since the movement of the film is effected per "page", when the lengthwise dimension of the page is L and the moving speed of the film is V, it takes at least a time of L/V for changing from one page to the next. Particularly, if the first page is changed to the last page, when the total number of pages is N, it takes a long time of L/V (N-1). Accordingly, this conventional input machine has the disadvantage of inordinate time consumption for changing pages with the result that the efficiency of the inputting operation is reduced.
By increasing the moving speed of the film, the above drawback of the conventional input machine can be more or less eliminated. However, where that speed is increased, there is introduced another drawback because it is then difficult to accurately stop a desired page of the film in a predetermined position on the input unit.